Harare — SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma is now pushing Zanu PF and the two MDC formations to expedite the resolution of outstanding issues in time for the 2011 elections, amid growing impatience amongregional leaders and investors.

Zuma has been seized with the task of facilitating the resolution of issues that threaten the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), which created the inclusive government.

Although nothing has been finalised on this proposal, Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya yesterday told The Standard that the South African leader wants elections next year.

Magwenya was speaking ahead of the resumption today of talks betweenthe three governing parties on the outstanding issues on theimplementation of the GPA.

"He (President Zuma) is looking forward to an election in 2011,"Magwenya said. "That is not his proposal, but it is what theZimbabweans agreed.

"The parties must work really hard to implement the GPA so that by thetime of the elections in 2011, the situation is conducive."

In an interview with SAFM radio station in Johannesburg on Friday,Zuma said the parties in the coalition should be flexible enough to"move without resolving" some of the thorny issues around the keyappointments of Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney-GeneralJohannes Tomana.

"Are these issues (Gono and Tomana) so fundamental that we cannot movewithout resolving them? Can we park them and proceed?" said Zuma.

"I'm sure the Zimbabweans have to open up and look at the issues fromall angles," he said.

Magwenya said Zuma's proposal entailed evaluating the issues to seewhether or not their delayed resolution would affect the holding of elections.

"Evaluation has to be made on how critical those issues are ... arethose issues worth stalling the process (of holding the elections nextyear)? He is not saying those issues have to be ignored," he said.

"What the President is simply saying is that if we get to electionsand there are still contentious issues that need to be resolved, thosewill be evaluated to see whether they will affect the process."

The talks are scheduled to resume today, with pressure mounting on thenegotiators to reach an agreement and pave way for nationalreconstruction.

Magwenya said Zuma's facilitation team of Mac Maharaj, Lindiwe Zuluand Charles Nqakula will keep a close eye on the talks.

"In essence, Zuma is looking forward to a point where this process isconcluded," he added.

"The facilitation team is going to continue to appraise President Zumaand President (of Mozambique, Armando) Guebuza.

"The President is saying let us implement those issues where there isagreement. Our facilitation is to create a conducive environment forthe holding of elections."

But the MDC-T on Friday said there was no going back on their demandto have "all the issues resolved".

Addressing a press conference in Harare, party spokesperson NelsonChamisa said they expected the process to resolve all issues currentlyon the table.

"I am the least qualified to comment on what President Zuma says, butwe would want all issues resolved, as they are fundamental in ourview," Chamisa said.

"It is our view that these negotiations will bring all these issues tofinality so that we are able to move... If we fail to deal with allthe outstanding issues, the only option is to seek the guidance of ourguarantors (Sadc and the African Union)."

"The talks are simply about punctuating our signatures with action,our colleagues (Zanu PF) are trying to run away from theirsignatures," Chamisa said.

"We cannot continue to discuss these issues ad infinitum. All ourissues are fundamental and we hope they are going to be addressedfully."

On the possibility of elections next year, Chamisa said "that is whatthe GPA says", but the elections could only go ahead if the GPA isfully implemented.

"Our view and hope is that free and fair elections will be held oncethere is a conducive environment."

The coalition partners are still not coming out clearly on when thenext elections will be held with some quarters advocating for theunity government to serve a full five-year term.

The five years would expire in 2013.

But others want an election as soon as a new constitution is in place.At the earliest the new supreme law might be in place by early nextyear.

President Robert Mugabe has in recent months also hinted at an early election